Obesity, Excess Weight and Gastric Surgery

Severe obesity is a chronic condition that is very difficult to treat. Gastric surgery [e.g. stomach by-pass, stomach stapling, lap band, or stomach balloon] to promote weight loss by restricting food intake or interrupting digestive processes is an option for severely obese people.

A body mass index (BMI) above 40 – which means about 100 pounds of overweight for men and about 80 pounds for women – indicates that a person is severely obese and therefore a candidate for surgery.

Surgery also may be an option for people with a BMI between 35 and 40 who suffer from life-threatening cardiopulmonary problems (for example, severe sleep apnea or obesity-related heart disease) or diabetes.

However, as in other treatments for obesity, successful results depend mainly on motivation and behavior.

More About Severe Overweight

Weight Loss Advice

No matter how much excess weight or fat you have, if you want to lose weight permanently, your diet program should be directed toward a slow, steady weight loss. According to official government dietary guidelines, unless your doctor feels your particular health condition would benefit from more rapid weight loss, you should expect to lose no more than 2 pounds of fat a week, although initial loss (mainly water) may be greater. Losing more weight is no guarantee that weight loss is likely to be permanent.